For Pete's Sake

It was about 10 o'clock when the guys got settled into their comfortable positions on the floor of the loft facing their fake fireplace. It didn't bother them that the air-conditioning was working hard to keep the place cool. The heat was turned off but the flickering flames of the fake fire still served to ease any tension that might arise between the guys. Not that there was usually any tension between the guys.

"You lied to me," Brian exclaimed as they were sitting down. "Last night you said we were going to spend the whole evening tonight here in the cool with the fireplace on - and we spent most of the evening sitting in the hot sun and sweating. So what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Gee whiz, Brian," Justin defended himself. "Sometimes things change and stuff happens and plans have to be changed. We can sit here the rest of tonight and all tomorrow evening too if you want to. I like being here with you better than just about anything."

"I guess not better than a little league baseball game," Brian objected. "That's where I spent most of my evening tonight thanks to you - at a little league baseball game - that's where."

"And it's the first one we've been to this season too, Kinney," Justin took the offensive. "And that is your fault - not mine. I've been wanting to go and you…."

"So you picked the damn hottest night of the year to drag me out to the ballpark, eh?" Brian complained.

"Dammit yourself, Brian Kinney," Justin raised his voice ever so slightly. "Peter is your nephew too - just like Johnny - and we ought to be at more of his games than we get to. Gee whiz, Brian. We don't have to go to all of them but we need to show up at some of Pete's games - and some of Johnny's too."

"When you promised me we were gonna stay cool all evening in front of our fireplace…." Brian started to make his case.

"OK, Kinney," Justin began to laugh. "You're not mad at all about going to the game but you're gonna try to make this a 'poor Brian' night and see how much sympathy you can get. You know we went to the game tonight because Clare had to work overtime and couldn't get there."

"Yeah, that was a plus," Brian allowed, "But how come Johnny called you to see if we could come and root for his brother? Why didn't he call me?"

"He did try to call you, Brian," Justin replied patiently. "You left the office about 1:30 and didn't go back. I bet you'll find a message from Johnny on your desk when you go in tomorrow. He did call you first."

"I bet he did call all right," Brian conceded. "But I'll bet he called you first and you told him we'd come - and then you knew I wasn't going to be in the office so you told him to call Cynthia and leave a message. Cynthia keeps good records of when calls come in, Twink. I just need to subpoena your cell phone records and compare the times - and voila…."

"Brian Kinney," Justin objected a bit too strenuously. "Are you saying that you don't trust me? Is that what you're saying? My feelings are really hurt. So just go ahead and check if you want to. Just remember though that Cynthia would be happy to fix the time on your message for me if I asked her to - guess you won't ever be sure anyhow - so you might as well just trust me."

"OK Twink, you win," Brian gave in with a grin. "I guess we just have to do everything your way. OK, I'll live with that. I guess I just have to trust you - even if it means spending the whole night at a little league game."

"Wait just one darn minute, Mr. Kinney," Justin recalled, "We could have been back here a lot sooner. It was you who suggested to Johnny and Peter that we take them out to dinner at Wendy's after the game - to celebrate the big victory - not me."

"Well I just suggested eating somewhere. They picked Wendy's," Brian reminded Justin. "And maybe I was hungry. You were supposed to fix dinner here tonight - and what you fixed was a turkey and cheese sandwich. That was dinner."

"Well we didn't have all that much time to get to the game - and there was lettuce and home-grown tomatoes on that sandwich too - and you could also have had peanut butter on your sandwich if you wanted," Justin reminded him back. "Whole wheat bread too. Pretty nourishing, I'd say."

"Yeah that's what it tasted like," Brian laughed. "Just like it was nourishing. OK, Sweetheart, maybe we have been neglecting Pete just a little bit. Maybe it was an OK idea to go to the game after all."

"Gee whiz, Brian," Justin seemed surprised. "I didn't think you'd ever admit that. But we really have spent more time with Johnny than with Peter."

"I guess we'll be stuck with kids all our lives though," Brian concluded. "First Johnny and now Pete…."

"And then Gus," Justin finished Brian's thought for him. It'll be OK, Brian. It will keep us young."

"Will Petey be a leprechaun too next St. Patrick's Day, do you suppose?" Brian looked ahead.

"I think he did say he would like to be, Honey," Justin recalled. "Yeah, he did mention it. What do you think? I bet he'll be big enough. I think you should decide though. You're the uncle."

"So are you, Baby," Brian told him. "If I have to be an uncle, so do you. I don't intend to get involved in this uncle business all by myself. And I'll bet too that Uncle Justin has already told Peter that he can be a leprechaun next March."

"Did not, Mr. Know-It-All Kinney," Justin came back at him. "What I did tell him though was that he can probably help some with the decorations. Peter is a good artist, Bri. He might even end up at the Institute if he wants to."

"See," Brian pointed out. "Little Petey takes after Uncle Justin - not Uncle Brian. Wonder what Uncle Justin will do when talented artist Peter decides he wants to get an MBA at Dartmouth instead of going to the Institute?"

"Uncle Justin will tell him to do what he wants to do, Brian," Justin said. "Uncle Justin is all for people doing just what they want to do."

"Somehow I don't think that applies to me, Baby," Brian chided humorously. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Yeah, you are," Justin told him. "But that's OK. Remember this is a 'poor Brian' night so it's OK for you to complain a little bit - if you want to. You know what though, Bri - seriously - I think Johnny would like to go into the advertising business. He thinks you can do no wrong."

"There's only the two of us that think that though," Brian laughed. "I guess you'll have to tell him…."

"Well Johnny will not be heading for the Institute, I don't think," Justin laughed too. "Remember when we went to his school open house this spring and they had that art display. You asked real loud why Johnny's drawing was on the wall with all the other kid's birds."

"And you elbowed me in the ribs and told me Johnny's drawing was a bird too," Brian did remember. "It took a real artist's eye to see the bird in that drawing."

"Not an artist's eye really, Bri," Justin confided. "More like deductive skills."

"Well anyhow I guess you've made a good uncle out of me, Baby," Brian squeezed the kid a little. "I couldn't have done it without you - or a heck of a lot of other things either."

Justin plopped his head down onto Brian's shoulder. "Thanks, Bri," Justin told him. "But I did break my promise tonight - so is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"Well," Brian thought for a while before answering. "Maybe I'm still hungry. Maybe another turkey and cheese sandwich with tomatoes and lettuce…."

"With or without peanut butter?" Justin whispered as he snuggled closer to the big guy - making no indication whatever that he was heading to the kitchen.

"Your call," Brian whispered back at him. Brian trusted Justin to know exactly what to do. And he didn't feel like "poor Brian" either.

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